


Second Snared

by Anorlost



Series: Selkieverse!Second Series [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU, Diplomacy, Gen, M/M, Selkies, cuteness, kind of, self indulgant silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6896428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anorlost/pseuds/Anorlost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Hold on,’ Hux thought.  He drew his head back and bit down again.  This time he held on, shaking his head and tugging at his own flesh until little droplets of blood stained his muzzle.  Hux let out a high pitched bark of alarm and his thought came loud and clear, even with the inhibitor, ‘I…I’m stuck!’  </p><p>Kylo could only stare as Hux tried again, biting at his flesh, “What do you mean you’re stuck!?”  </p><p>‘It won’t come off!’ came Hux’s panicking thoughts.</p><p>((An AU where everything is the same, but Hux is a Selkie.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Back in March I wrote a silly little Fic in a ridiculously short time for St. Patrick's Day. Someone asked for a sequel, and after being distracted by Mongolian Deathworms, the adorable Knight of Ren hivemind, now epic length opus on consent, t-rex shaped explosions, snow coitus, and adorable mutiny attempts, I finally got around to finishing it. 
> 
> This fic is pretty much pure self-indulgence, but I hope other people get a smile out of it. This is part two of a series, so it will probably make more sense if you read part one (or you can dive in and read them backwards. Whatever floats your jam~)

“So the next item that needs addressing comes from maintenance. It seems the filter in the main training pool was recently clogged up by short white hairs...again.”

Hux regarded the officer who ready the report passively and Kylo tried not to burst out laughing. Normally he would not think twice before disrupting a meeting, since they were the most tedious part of any day, but this was different. He knew exactly why the training pool kept getting clogged up and he knew exactly where the little white hairs had come from. On one of his admittedly more bizarre missions to an aquatic planet, Kylo had discovered that Hux was not exactly human. Not entirely.

Kylo surveyed the General, sipping his tea, mouth open just enough to show a row of perfect, white teeth. On closer inspection Kylo wondered how he had not noticed they were fake, and would pop right out if given a decent tug, revealing a set of sharp fangs underneath. His teeth were not the only thing Hux had a tendency to shed. Before he got into a sizable body of water, always nude, to Kylo’s eternal ire, Hux would wrap a second skin around himself and change his shape. The General was, in other words, a skin changer. A Selkie, as he called himself, and his semi-aquatic animal form was too adorable for words. A little white seal with orange flecks, just a pup, with the cutest little nose and delightful whiskers.

None of that was visible now of course. It his human form, Hux was as harsh and anal as ever, practically living for protocol and devoting every second of spare time to improving the First Order. Kylo hoped someday he could figure out a way to convince Hux to stay in his other skin. He could be the First Order’s adorable mascot and Kylo could swim around with him and pet his fur and give him belly rubs and scratch his chin and…

“The strangest part is, nobody on the ship has white hair,” said the officer, “We think maybe someone is keeping an unauthorized animal onboard.”

“That is most disconcerting,” said Hux evenly, “I’ll have security keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“Fuzzy belly rubs…” mumbled Kylo absentmindedly.

Hux glared at him, “Ren if you’re going to stare into space and mumble nonsense than I’m going to remove you from this meeting.”

“Oh no, not the meeting, anything but the meeting,” Kylo mockingly pleaded, “Don’t you want to hear _my_ theory on why the filters keep getting clogged?”

Hux rolled his eyes, ignoring the question, “You’re excused just…at least _try_ to pay attention next time. I’ve had enough of your personal interests causing unnecessary disruptions.”

Kylo rose to his feet, towering over the seated officers and General, “Like you’ve never given into personal interests.”

As Kylo walked out he heard Hux call after him, “Not to the detriment of my mission I don’t.”

Typical General. Poor, typical General. How wrong he was about to be proven.

It had taken some doing, lots of mind tricks and bribing, but he managed to bring a bucket of live fish onboard the ship. They had been waiting in his quarters, and then in a nearby supply closet just this occasion, when Hux was being insufferable and another mission was right around the corner. Hux was quick to point out that Kylo’s feelings towards him varied depending on which skin he was wearing, and made no secret of the fact that he found it hypocritical. Kylo was very aware that the little seal was still the domineering General, but the sight of those round blue eyes melted him like an ice cube at noon on Jakku every time. And he had such a soft pelt…

Picking up his bucket and suppressing the giggles that threatened to erupt from his throat. Hux had a bit of a point. Kylo could not imagine himself rubbing his cheek against the General in his human form and telling him how fluffy he was. Perhaps he would mention the fluffiness to annoy him, but he would not touch the General with a six foot pole when he glared with his blue-green eyes and scowled menacingly. However, the dissonance between the two forms was so massive that it was difficult not to have just as great a difference in the way Kylo treated both Huxs.

Thankfully though, in moments like these there were some things he felt confident he would do to the General no matter which form he was in. Like tossing a gasping, writhing fish in his face.

Kylo burst through the blast doors and before anyone could react the fish had slapped Hux across the face and flopped in his lap. Several officers jumped up in alarm at the sudden sight. Hux stayed silent, his eyes widening slightly as Kylo felt his brainwaves shift from across the room forming a single slightly incoherent thought.

_‘Prey…’_

“By the way General, I’ve been assigned another mission. If you’ll join me at the usual place we’ll discuss the particulars,” said Kylo. He took in the sight of Hux, clutching the wriggling fish, using every ounce of self-restraint in his body to keep from devouring the thing whole in front of his men.

As soon as Kylo left, Lieutenant Mitaka quietly asked, “G-General, what do you want us to do with…?”

Hux rose to his feet, gasping fish clenched in his leather clad fist as he calmly announced, “If you’ll excuse me gentlemen, ladies, I’m going to make a meal of Lord Ren’s attempt at insulting me.”

As the officers admired their unflappable and coolheaded General, Hux did his best not to drool at the squirming delicious prey in his grasp.  

* * *

 

Hux glared at Kylo. He was bare chested, purplish guts spilling from his lips between bared, pointed teeth as he gritted them. Kylo noted Hux had gotten quite a bit of his prey on himself, which explained why he had opted to take his shirt off before feeding. Ever the clean freak, Hux had made sure to gather up all of the fine, brittle bones into a handkerchief placed on top of the diving platform by the pool. Strangely he had not taken off the rest of his clothing yet, not that Kylo was complaining. The longer Hux managed to keep his pants on the better.

Even more strangely, and worryingly, Hux did not have the brown package his other skin was usually wrapped in. Kylo knew how valuable it was to Hux. All through their last mission he never once parted with it, even sleeping with it clutched against his chest. When someone had foolishly tried to take the Selkie’s skin, Hux had retaliated with more ferocity than Kylo had first thought the General capable of. If something ever did happen to the skin, Hux would lose his ability to transform and be stuck as a human for the rest of his life. For Hux to be without it now, especially near water was instantly a cause for concern.

“So, are you going to tell me the mission or do you have more fish to throw at me?” demanded Hux haughtily.

“Do you want me to have more fish to throw at you?” asked Kylo slyly.

“Absolutely not! That was a heinous and horribly inappropriate thing to do!” snapped Hux, his voice echoing through the unoccupied pool space and the smell of chlorine wafting through the air, “What’s this mission and why do you need me?”

Kylo sighed, “There’s this conference coming up, I’m sure you’re aware of it. A bunch of leaders and senators and what have you get together to discuss political stuff.”

“Yes, I’m one of those people discussing the ‘political stuff’,” Hux reminded him snidely.

“See, that’s why I came to ask you,” said Kylo, “I’ll be representing my Master. Well, not actually representing him, just being there to show he has an interest in what’s going on. But the thing is, since it’s a neutral conference, all weapons have to be forfeited before entering the compound, and they’re going to have me wear Force suppressants.”

Hux’s brow arched, “Such devices exist?” Kylo could hear him mentally add, _‘Where can I get fifty?’_

“I’ll probably still have some command of my power, but not much, not enough to read a room full of people,” explained Kylo.

“Ah, so you require my skills in profiling and deductive reasoning,” concluded Hux.

“No,” said Kylo, “I need you to use your skin, turn into a seal, hang out in the pond that’s in the compound and spy on people while they spill their guts to each other.”

Hux stared at Kylo blankly, “That plan is stupid, Ren.”

“No it’s not! Look, people are going to be double dealing with each other. You’ll overhear their real thoughts and intentions without anybody knowing it’s you,” said Kylo.

“Except I’m supposed to be attending the conference and doing double dealing of my own!” exclaimed Hux, “You know we have trained spies for exactly these sorts of scenarios.”

“You know what security is going to be like. Why try to sneak someone in when we have somebody with a guaranteed way in and solid alibi?” countered Kylo. He stared Hux down, “I know you barely sleep. Why not just spend your free time spying when you aren’t doing…what is it you do?”

“Run the First Order.”

“Oh yeah, that.”

Hux pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes screwed shut in annoyance. Kylo gave him a slow, cautious once over before asking, “How come you didn’t bring your other skin?”

“You mean aside from destroying no less than three filters with my shedding?” replied Hux.

“Well, yeah, you’ve never come without it before,” said Kylo.

Hux sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, licking the blood and guts from his lips before answering quietly, “I don’t have it.”

Kylo stared at him stunned, “What do you mean you don’t have it!? Did something happen?”

“It’s a weapon, technically, and sometimes weapons are asked to be submitted for inspection. At the moment…I believe the Supreme Leader has it,” said Hux. He trailed off, looking at the florescent lights playing along the glassy surface of the rippling pool, “Its…I get anxious.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t destroy it, not when it can still be useful,” said Kylo, almost consolingly.

“It’s not him I worry about,” said Hux, glowering at the water, “What if something happens in transit? What if someone irreparably damages it? What if…what if someone right now is…curled up with it, touching it…Do you have any idea how unsettling it is to think that someone half a system away could be poking and prodding at you and you have no way of knowing it?”

Kylo had not thought of it that way. He had mostly thought of the skin as a weird, overgrown blanket when it was not being used. Hux seemed to think of it like an arm or a leg. He recalled when the skin was taken from Hux and nearly burned and how desperate he had been to reclaim it.

“Would you feel it? Would it hurt?” asked Kylo.

“No, but, I suppose it’s a bit like human hair. You might not feel it if I slipped behind you with a pair of scissors and chopped it all off, but you probably wouldn’t like it,” said Hux, “And I very much doubt you would appreciate it if I kept all the clippings and caressed them on my free time.”

“Uh…yeah, that does sound weird and creepy,” admitted Kylo. He sighed. Hux looked miserable. The Force around him felt heavy and melancholic. If the skin had been gone for a long time, Hux had done an excellent job of hiding his anxiety. Then again, the Force around Hux was always so dark and thick and full of frustration that if he had a sudden spike of fear it would be hard to detect. Still, for someone who was worried someone might be hurting or petting him worlds away, Hux was doing a good job of keeping himself together.

“When will you get it back?” asked Kylo.

“Soon, before the conference. Tomorrow at the earliest, five days from now at the latest,” replied Hux.

Kylo took a cautious step towards him, “You going to be okay?”

Hux furrowed his brow, obviously taken aback by the concern. Kylo was willing to admit that he rarely showed concerned for others, but after finding out about Hux and his skin, Kylo’s feelings towards Hux began to warm slightly. He’d always had trouble relating to other people, but he liked animals, and hated seeing them suffering. Certainly he still loved to irritate the General, argued with him, got angry and frustrated with him, but a lot of the urges to cause harm had gone away. It probably had a lot to do with Hux being a Selkie, but Kylo found himself increasingly disliking the idea of Hux in excruciating or debilitating pain, whether it was mental or physical.

“What do you care?” asked Hux, “You played that ridiculous prank on me earlier. We aren’t friends. What should the way I feel matter to you?”

It was all true. Even now Kylo was not sure he would exactly call the strained relationship between himself and the General friendship. Especially when he was going to get so uppity about someone showing concern for him. Kylo was not even sure of how to phrase it himself. He tried anyways.

“Because, you’re a pain in the ass, but you’re my pain in the ass. If anyone around here is going to make you miserable, it ought to be me,” said Kylo. He looked Hux dead in the eye, “So…nobody else gets to make you mad or upset, alright?”

Hux arched his brow, “Are you staking out a monopoly on my misery?”

“Pretty much,” said Kylo, “So, back to the question, are you going to be okay?”

Hux put his tunic back on and collected the fish bones, “Forgive me for not feeling up to swimming. It feels odd like this.”

“That’s not a valid answer,” sighed Kylo, “Just give me a yes or no. I can’t have you suddenly flying off the handle and freaking everyone out.”

“That’s a laugh, coming from you,” huffed Hux with a slight sneer, “I’ll be able to attend my duties as usual, provided you never throw live fish at me again.”

“Never?” asked Kylo.

“Never,” replied Hux.

“Alright…” said the knight, sauntering off, leaving Hux standing by the edge of the pool with a folded handkerchief full of fish bones.

Kylo peered around the corner of the shower area that connected the pool and the locker rooms. Hux stared at the water, his melancholy and anxiety rippling along its surface. He didn’t like seeing Hux like this. When Hux got upset he was supposed to be angry, snarky, snapping at people and threatening to feed them to Rathtars if they did not cooperate. Seeing Hux so quiet and almost helpless was jarring.

He stepped back into the pool area, bucket in hand, “Because I’ve still got all of these fish, and I really want to smack you in the face with them.”

Hux’s face twisted in shock, than his usual anger and disapproval, “Ren, no. I just put my teeth back in. I’ll make a mess of my uniform.”

Kylo stepped forward menacingly, one hand at the base of the bucket and the other at the mouth, ready to toss the contents all over Hux, “Oh no, not your uniform. I would never want to mess up your uniform.”

“Ren! You keep that bucket of fish away from me!” snapped Hux, backing towards the edge of the pool.

Kylo held out his hand and sent out a pulse of Force energy. Hux’s limbs flew up from under him as he was thrown backwards into the pool, fully uniformed. Kylo grinned and set his bucket by the diving platform, watching the General surface and shake water from his red hair and struggle to tread water in his heavy uniform. Kylo leaned against the diving platform and called out, “Like I said, I’m the only one who’s allowed to make you miserable…because obviously I’m the one who’s best at it.”

“REN!” yowled Hux, slowly, a little awkward in his fully clothed human form, swam towards the side of the pool, “When I get out of here I’m going to rip your eyes out of their sockets than cram them so far down your throat you’ll be able to monitor your own digestive tract!”

“Enjoy the fish,” said Kylo with a passive shrug as he turned on his heel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hux and Kylo go through the TSA...in space!! 
> 
> This fic is ridiculous and I apologize for nothing.

Kylo waited for a response as he pressed the buzzer on Hux’s door again. Really, if the General did not want him destroying control panels and consoles, than he ought to at least answer doors when he was prompted. Kylo had a code to enter the General’s quarters, but he did not want to deal with Hux screeching at him for breaking and entering. He was not opening the door though, and everybody had said that the General had retired to his quarters for the day. Kylo wondered if the nerves from being separated from his skin for so long had finally gotten to him.

Eventually the knight gave up and entered the room. The lights were on, showing the room to be as pristine and orderly as Kylo imagined it might be. The only thing out of place was a large bucket by the door filled with little bones. Kylo grinned, Hux might have been livid but he really could not resist the allure of live prey. That was when Kylo noticed, in an open archway that separated the sitting area from another room, just the corner of some brown paper packaging.

 _‘Oh no…’_ Kylo thought, fearing the worst.

With nervous caution he quickly approached the archway, removing his mask in the process. He looked down at the floor. It was definitely the brown parchment Hux usually wrapped around his skin. He glanced up and noticed he was in the General’s bedroom. Hux was curled up in the bed, boots kicked off, with his back towards Kylo.

Kylo slowly approached the bed and leaned over Hux. He sighed with relief. The General had simply fallen asleep, his newly returned skin held tightly to his chest and pressed against his cheek. No harm done it seemed.

He remained standing, looking down at the sleeping form in front of him. It occurred to Kylo that he had never seen Hux passed out contentedly like this. Through his parted lips the knight could see he had kept his false teeth out, with pointed little fangs poking through. He recalled Hux saying that Kylo would never want to touch him in his human form, and should thus feel the same about his seal form, but Kylo was not sure about that anymore. With Hux out cold, a relieved, ghost of a smile on his lips, curled up with his fur, Kylo felt the strange urge to pat the General on the arm or stroke his short red hair.

 _‘Ew, no, that’s **Hux** ,’_ Kylo told himself. In his seal form it was one thing, like this it would be…weird. He had thought about touching Hux’s hair before, how could he not with it being so bright and red and conspicuous, but usually he would remember it was Hux and the urge would go away.

But it wasn’t going away.

 _‘No…no, no, no…’_ Kylo thought to himself. He was not going to get into this. Hux was his awful, embittered rival. His nemesis. He liked having Hux as his nemesis. He did not want to change what already seemed to be working for both of them. How was he supposed to impress his Master if he was making googly eyes at stupid, arrogant, always-trying-to-one-up-him _Hux._

That was when stupid, arrogant Hux shifted with a slight groan, nuzzling his fur fondly before his eyes opened. The shout he let out when he spotted Kylo was deafening.

“Ren what the hell!?” demanded Hux.

“I used the buzzer but you didn’t get up!” said Kylo defensively.

“So you just stood there and watch me sleep!?” shouted Hux.

“I wasn’t watching! I just got here!” protested Kylo, “I needed an answer from you about the spying thing!”

Hux sat on the bed, fur held protectively against his chest, glaring up at Kylo, “If I do, it’s for my own purposes. Any benefit it gives you is secondary.”

“Fine, whatever, just answer your door next time…” muttered Kylo.

Hux watched Kylo carefully as he folded the fur in his lap. They stared at each other for a moment and Kylo was not sure if he was supposed to say something or not. Usually this was the part where Hux said something snide and ordered Kylo to leave. He didn’t though. He just sat quietly, idly stroking his fur and considering the knight carefully.

“So…you got it back okay?” asked Kylo, trying to find a way to break the silence.

“Yes, but it smells…off. I thought perhaps if I slept with it for a while it might take on my scent again,” said Hux, quietly, “Luckily I’m only getting one scent off of it, so only one person made contact with it.”

Probably my Master, Kylo thought to himself. Curious he asked, “What does it smell like?”

Hux brought his hands to a halt and regarded Kylo with an attempt at stoicism that was quickly cracking and giving way to worry. Kylo noticed the fine hairs at the base of Hux’s neck standing on end and his lip curling slightly to show off his teeth.

Hux replied as evenly as he could, “A predator…”

* * *

 

Kylo wondered, as they were transported via shuttle, what Hux could have meant by that. Snoke was certainly not human. If his smell was not human, that was one thing, but a predator? Hux did not seem to register other sentient races as threats or predators, not to Kylo’s knowledge. The only time he had felt Hux detect a threat had been that large ocean serpent on Neru, and that had clearly been a monster with fangs and claws that tried to eat anything that touched the artifact it was guarding.

From what Kylo knew of Snoke, he was not a hunter, not in the animalistic sense. He did not prey on Selkies, obviously, or else why let Hux live? So why on earth did the General say Snoke’s scent reminded him of a predator? It did not make much sense. Perhaps someone else had been handling the pelt while Snoke inspected it. Some large reptilian creature with lots of teeth. Or perhaps it had rubbed up against something another animal had touched. That made slightly more sense.

Hux was not in his usual uniform. It had brassy buttons on the front as opposed to the nearly invisible metal clasps and hooks, a crimson sash around his waist instead of a belt and odd, tasselled bits on his shoulder connected to a large brooch – or was it a badge? – at his collar by a braded silvery rope. It must have been some sort of uniform reserved for special occasions, though Kylo had never seen one before, on Hux or anyone else for that matter.

It almost made him feel under-dressed. Almost. His robes, mask and cloak kept him covered and gave him an intimidating appearance. Hux looked like he was going to join some sort of historic enactment society for a fun day of shooting fake blasters and pretending to be a soldier.

Stepping off the shuttle and descending the gangplank, Hux instantly pressed a handkerchief to his nose. Kylo could smell whatever herbs or perfume he had used. The General must have made a little concoction to dull his senses, which were already starting to become overwhelmed with all the sounds and colours and textures around him.

“Lord Kylo Ren and General Hux,” said a middle-aged man who greeted them. He seemed to be wearing some sort of grey uniform, probably for domestic staff. He gestured towards a building at the end of a long walkway. Along the path was lined with trees and shrubs, though Kylo could also see a bridge that passed over an artificial river that seemed to encircle the building. Kylo saw that it also connected to a large pond along the left side of the property. Good, Hux would have multiple areas that he could stake out. The man continued, “This way gentlemen. I’m sure you’ve had a hard journey.”

 _‘Not really,’_ Kylo mused to himself. As far as shuttle rides had been it had not been anything arduous. He guessed it was just something the man had to say. He looked around the compound again. It was encased with durasteel and interlocking force-fields. He could see outside, but Kylo doubted anybody could get inside, not without a great deal of effort. The river and pond interested him more. He could already spot a few places where Hux could potentially stash his uniform and get in the water discreetly.

“Looks like you could go just about anywhere,” Kylo said to Hux.

The guide took it as a general statement, “Of course. Guests and participants are welcome to explore the grounds at their leisure. However, you mustn’t touch the force-fields under any circumstances. After an incident a few months ago, it was deemed necessary to equip them with a high voltage shock. There are fences, and warning signs, but do be careful.”

“It must have been quite an incident,” noted Hux with a slight grin.

“Spies. Always spies. As you know this compound was constructed for neutral gatherings and peaceful negotiations, so there’s always someone trying to break in,” sighed the guard, “He almost got in through the waterway.”

“Have you laid traps there?” asked Hux, his grin disappearing and his brow cocking.

“Only where the water runs into and off the compound. Why? Do you fancy going for a swim, General?” asked the guide, “If you do there are indoor facilities that you may find more comfortable.”

“Just enquiring after security measures,” said Hux, pressing his handkerchief back to his nose as he passed a particularly sweet smelling bush covered in purple flowers.

As they approached the compound two security guards stepped forward. The guide turned, “I’m afraid there will be no weapons allowed past this point. If you would be so kind as to relinquish your weapons to security, they will be returned upon your departure.”

Kylo had left his lightsaber back on the Finalizer. There was no way he was about to let someone else handle it. Hux regarded him for a moment before replying, “Seems neither of us brought any this time.”

“Excellent. Than if you don’t mind, please step through those scanners by the door. Afterwards I’m afraid we will have to search both your persons for hidden weapons. Its standard procedure and we keep it as non-invasive as possible,” explained the guide.

The standard procedure involved taking off excess layers of clothing, a process which took a long time for Kylo, and having each piece of clothing scanned and inspected for pockets, wires or contact-poisons. They also received a pat down, which irked Kylo but Hux did not appear bothered by it at all. Kylo often wondered what he thought of physical contact from another human. When he received it from an animal he saw it as another form of greeting and communication, and found the experience pleasant. A quick scan of Hux’s thoughts and emotions with the Force told Kylo that it differed slightly. Hux was largely indifferent to it, but the part of his brain that contained his more animalistic instincts enjoyed hands running firmly over his limbs, no matter how much the General might try denying it.

Kylo just hoped these guys kept their hands far away from his junk. He hated security pat downs.

Next their bags were inspected. For Kylo it was just clothes, but one of the security officers, a young woman, opened Hux’s bag and instantly spotted the brown parcel. Kylo watched Hux, hoping the General had the sense not to launch himself at the woman who proceeded to open the package and inspect the fur. Hux watched warily as she ran her gloved hands over it, then put part of it through a scanner.

“It’s a gorgeous pelt, Sir,” she said admiringly, “How did you come by it?”

“My mother,” said Hux, likely more quietly than he had intended.

She folded it up and carefully wrapped it back up in the brown parchment before giving the other items in Hux’s bag similar treatment, “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

Kylo would have tried to listen in on more, but he was undergoing a nerve-wracking procedure of his own. His sleeves had been rolled up, and his wrists were being rubbed with disinfectant. The smell was awful, but the sight of the suppression cuffs with their shallow needles was worse. It was not Kylo’s first time wearing them, and he knew the needles barely broke the skin and caused minimal discomfort. Pain did not bother him. The sensation of suddenly being cut off from the Force was too horrific for words. He imagined it would be like a normal human suddenly becoming deaf, blind and mute all at the same time. He could not hear the Force, he could not perceive it, he could not communicate by it. He would feel it, and then as soon as the cuffs were secured there would be a horrible, gut wrenching nothingness.

He looked over at Hux. Normally he could sense a thick billowing darkness around him, filled with frustration, anxiety and an intense desire for power and order. Instead there was nothing. Just Hux. He had to concentrate very hard to pick up his emotions. Hux felt incredibly violated watching someone else handle his fur. Kylo sighed, examining his cuffs. At least they were both miserable.

“Well, now that all that has been settled, welcome to The Compound gentlemen. I’ll show you to your room. You must be exhausted,” said the guide.

“Room?” asked Hux, holding his parcel against his chest, “As in singular?”

“Yes, is there something wrong?” inquired the guide, “When we received your joint confirmation we assumed you would prefer to be lodged together.”

“That’s fine,” said Kylo quickly. Normally he would feel annoyance from Hux, but there was nothing. Was Hux annoyed? Was he amused? Was the guide playing a joke? Was he serious? Was he afraid? Kylo could not tell. Not needing to read facial expressions he had no idea how to tell who, if anyone, was using a poker face and who was being genuine.

In any case, he did not want to be alone while he adjusted.

Hux looked over at Kylo but the knight had no idea what was going through Hux’s head. He had not noticed how stoic the Selkie was before. Being able to constantly feel his ire, Kylo just assumed everyone could tell Hux was an irritated little ball of salt and sarcasm ready to erupt.

“Very well, follow me, gentlemen,” said the guide.

The Compound was certainly deceptively small on the outside. The interior was a labyrinth of halls and levels that rivaled even the Finalizer. Kylo looked about. Normally he could navigate a place based on the energy reading of its inhabitants. Only relying on his limited field of vision was jarring. He felt like he was trying to navigate a dark room, or find a target after being blindfolded and spun around.

The guide casually pointed out different facilities they could use on their free time. Kylo barely took note of them. He was starting to become paranoid. When he was like this he could not tell who could be trusted or not. Normally a whiff of the Force around a person would reveal their intent and alignment but now he could not manage it at all. Someone could lead him into a trap or be plotting to kill him and he would have no idea.

When they arrived at their room Kylo did not bother unpacking. He took off his mask and sat on the bed and tried to get used to not being able to feel anything. He was hyper aware of Hux and all his movements, laying out a spare dress uniform, arranging toiletries in the refresher, unpacking his skin and rubbing it against his face, trying to get the security woman’s scent off of it.

“I can smell your anxiety from over here,” glowered Hux.

Kylo started, “You can sense emotions?”

“No, but certain emotions make you sweat more, and you’re not destroying enough things to be angry,” explained Hux. He looked at Kylo quizzically, “It’s the cuffs that are doing this to you, correct?”

“Yeah,” said Kylo quietly, “You’re pretty intuitive for a non-Force user.”

“It’s basic deduction, and you’re terribly easy to read,” sighed Hux, “Do you have any way of calming yourself when this happens?”

“No, I just sort of ride it out…wait until it doesn’t bother me as much,” admitted Kylo.

Hux approached Kylo, sitting next to him, his fur neatly pulled over his lap. Hux scowled slightly as he spoke, “The chemicals in your kind’s brains balance themselves when they have contact with animals. If it will stop you from reeking…I’ll let you touch it.”

Kylo immediately buried his face in Hux’s lap and the relief it gave was almost immediate. The fur might not have been physically attached to Hux but the effect it had on Kylo might have been the same either way. Stroking it rhythmically, feeling it’s softness against his cheek, Hux’s warmth radiating from underneath it calmed him down. The musky smell of the fur was nostalgic, relaxing, reminding him of a time that was simpler. He clutched Hux’s legs tighter and nuzzled his lap.

“I said you could touch it, not manhandle me…” protested Hux.

Was Hux being angry for show or angry for real? Kylo could not tell anymore. He gripped Hux’s legs and looked up at his face. It was unreadable as it had been before. Kylo sighed, “I can’t feel your emotional profile anymore so I can’t tell when you’re being sarcastic. If you want me to stop you have to tell me without the snark.”

“I’m fine if you continue until you stop smelling foul, but…” Hux gave him a slight shove, “Move your head a bit lower. Your positioning is close to being indecent.”

Kylo sighed and moved his face closer to Hux’s knee. The General seemed less tense after that, absentmindedly thumbing his own fur and muttering, “So, this was why you wanted someone to spy and read people for you. You’re practically helpless without your power.”

The way he said that sounded a little smug, but it might have just been a casual observation. Hux was right, in any case. He might not have been completely helpless, but having his connection to the Force cut off made him significantly weaker. Hux sighed again, “I can let you in on a few tricks. They aren’t much, and everyone here is probably good at covering them up, but it’s better than having you walk around blind making an idiot of yourself.”

“Okay,” said Kylo tiredly, stroking Hux’s knee.

“Start casual conversation with as many people as you can. Get a general feel for attitudes and speech patterns. If, when you’re discussing more important matters later, you notice a sudden shift, you’re probably being lied to,” explained Hux.

Kylo nodded quietly.

“If an answer seems too elaborate, too rehearsed, too well-spoken for an off the cuff answer, usually it means their lying, but in this case they might just be well-studied. Watch for sudden changes in body language, particularly if their eye drifts to the upper left or they start fidgeting,” instructed Hux, “Also be wary if they keep repeating how honest they’re being…are you taking note of any of this, Ren?”

Kylo snored in response. Hux shoved him off of his lap.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to update every day, but life happened, quite literally. I am an Uncle! So my activity is going to be a little erratic and I might not respond to comments right away, but I will keep an eye on them and update as frequently as I can.

Kylo stuck to Hux like glue during and after the opening ceremonies. He had calmed down a lot, but being in a room full of people he could not read was making him anxious again. Hux pressed his scented handkerchief to his nose occasionally, especially when he was being crowded, but aside from that seemed perfectly at ease during the proceedings.

The knight was grateful with the meeting finally started in earnest. He tried to keep up with it at first, even jotting down little notes as various parties stated their views and positions on the goings on in their corner of the galaxy, but eventually he got bored. He had been hyper aware of individuals speaking without background thoughts and feelings drowning them out, but the subjects were so tedious that the sound of a single voice speaking became grating. Kylo found himself purposefully tuning them out because the sound was so strange and jarring to him.

After hours of speeches and tediously unheated debates - Kylo was at least hoping someone might start threatening someone else, just to make things interesting - the first phase was over and everyone was excused. Kylo grabbed Hux by the back of the arm and practically dragged him to the door. Hux, of course, protested.

“What are you doing Ren!? Let go! I was about to begin private negotiations for-” began Hux.

“Nope. Pond. Now. I need to get outside,” insisted Kylo.

Hux managed to break free, “Than I’ll meet you there later. I have business to attend to. Besides, I left you-know-what in the safe. I’ll need to fetch it before I’ll be of any use.”

Kylo did not want to go alone. He would never admit that he ever pouted behind his mask, but he was pouting now. He did not want to be alone in an open space where he could not sense anyone sneaking up on him. Hux had already turned on his heel though and re-entered the conference room. It seemed there was no choice now. Kylo frowned and took his time trying to find his way out.

When Hux had rejoined him Kylo felt better. Not even Hux stripping down and passing Kylo his neatly folded dress uniform could dampen his sense of relief. Hux looked at Kylo sternly, “Do not get it dirty or wrinkled. If anyone asks, it’s my spare that got covered in lint, and you were picking it up from the cleaner’s.”

“I’d rather say I found it and you’re roaming The Compound naked,” said Kylo.

Hux rolled his eyes before leaping in the water. He resurfaced in his seal form and it instantly brought a smile to Kylo’s face. He could not help it, and it had been a while since he had seen it. Hux’s large, round blue eyes, his little black nose and precious whiskers that twitched in the most adorable way. Kylo knelt down by the pond and resisted the urge to try wading into the water and petting Hux’s head. He was so fluffy and cute like this. If only something could be done about his human personality.

Then Hux did something unexpected. He slapped the water with one of his flippers. Kylo looked at him quizzically before Hux swam up closer. He slapped the water again and let out a high pitched little bark.

“Aww,” cooed Kylo, “You’re barking is so much cuter like that. You know I’d probably pay more attention to your speeches if you made them like that.”

Hux slapped the water twice and barked a little more loudly. He probably had something to say. Kylo concentrated as hard as he could, despite the inhibitors.

_‘…me…hear…can…can you hear me? Can you hear me? Ren, can you hear me!?’_

“Yeah, I can hear you, it’s just really hard,” said Kylo. He sighed, “We should probably use some kind of short hand. Slap once for a positive response, twice for a negative, and bark if you have something more complicated to say.”

Hux paused for a moment before slapping his flipper against the water once.

Kylo looked around. Some of the other delegates had already come outside to walk in the gardens and enjoy the weather. Kylo motioned to them, “Can you hear them from over here?”

Hux slapped twice and barked. Kylo concentrated to pick up his thoughts, _‘I can’t listen from here. I’m going to get closer. See if you can get them talking about the First Order. It would be good to know who our allies are.’_

“Alright. And be careful of the force-fields. I don’t want to have to explain why my Master ordered a state funeral for a baby seal,” said Kylo.

Hux disappeared under the water. Kylo looked around the surface. It was strange not being able to see Hux or sense him. What was he thinking right now? Had he found fish to chase around? Was he happy to be in the water again? Without an emotional or telepathic read or line of sight, Kylo could not figure anything out. He held Hux’s clothes against his chest. They were still a bit warm, and Kylo gladly stole the residue heat from them to keep himself calm.

He caught sight of something white surfacing briefly before diving under the water again. He also saw a decorative fish with long shimmering fins jump nearby. He shook his head. So Hux was getting a little hunting done as well. Kylo paused as it occurred to him that this was not an ocean, and somebody might take umbrage to what appeared to be a wild animal hunting in The Compound. Hopefully Hux did not eat too many of the colourful fish. Kylo followed along the edge of the water, watching for ripples and disturbances. He wished he could talk with Hux. A Force connection had been instrumental in their communication before.

“What a darling little creature,” exclaimed a delegate, a human woman, catching sight of Hux in the water, “I wonder what species it is.”

“It’s a seal,” explained Kylo as he caught up, watching Hux disappear again.

“I’ve never heard of them,” she said with a sigh, “You must be Lord Kylo Ren.”

Kylo looked her over and tried to remember Hux’s advice. He looked for subtle cues that might tell him something of her character or alignment. Nothing. He replied, “Yes, I am, and you are?”

“Matriarch Delphine of Vathek,” said the woman with a light curtsy, “And I believe you represent the First Order.”

“Not exactly,” said Kylo. He heard Hux bark and screwed his eyes shut in concentration, _‘Yes?’_

 _‘Vathek is a neutral planet close to Republic territory. We want her on our side, and barring that we want to be able to pass through Vathek territory,_ ’ explained Hux, _‘Ask about her opinion on the war. I leave this to you Ren.’_

“So…this war,” said Kylo awkwardly, “It most certainly is…war…like…”

Hux slapped the water and barked before diving again. Was he mad? What had that been about?

“I hope it comes to a swift end. It seems the galaxy can’t go more than a few decades without a conflict. First the Empire and the Rebels, now this,” said Delphine.

“The First Order is striving to keep the Galaxy from falling into chaos,” explained Kylo, “The Republic had its chance and they failed. We only strive to create order and stability.”

“Do you now?” mused Delphine.

Hux surfaced again further off, trailing beside two men in the water. Delphine laughed lightly, “Awfully forward little thing. He doesn’t seem wild. Who do you suppose brought him?”

“It was…me,” said Kylo. He steeled himself slightly, “He’s mine. He was meant as a gift for a delegate who never arrived. I’m looking after him.”

“He’s absolutely darling. What do you call him?” she asked.

“Hux,” said Kylo.

Delphine looked up at him, slightly stunned, “As in…General Hux?”

“Yeah, so I can say, ‘No! Bad Hux! Not on the carpet! Down Hux! Sit boy!’ It’s a joke. The General isn’t very amused by it though,” explained Kylo.

“I had no idea that the First Order allowed its members to have a sense of humour,” murmured Delphine. Was that a good murmur? A bad murmur? Kylo felt like he was blowing this. Hux made it look so easy, being articulate and well-spoken at all times. How did non-Force users read conversations? How did they get by never knowing exactly what the other person felt or thought when they spoke?

“Can you call him here?” asked Delphine.

Kylo scanned the water’s surface. How long could Hux stay underwater? He needed to come up for air at some point. Kylo screwed his eyes shut in concentration and called out, _‘Hux.’_

A few minutes later the General surfaced, his head tilted in curiosity. Kylo pointed, “Oh, there he is. Come here Hux.”

Hux let out a bark and slapped the water twice. Kylo crouched down and clicked his tongue, “Come on, come here Huxy, come meet the nice lady.”

Hux barked, but he did not slap the water anymore. Kylo strained to hear his thoughts, _‘What…doing…call…Hux…don’t…cover…’_

“He’s covered in little red spots. I suppose that’s part of why he’s named for your General,” mused Delphine, crouching beside Kylo. She stretched out her hand, “Come here Hux…”

Hux looked at Delphine, then at Kylo, his eyes narrowing into what Kylo thought was an attempt at a glare. His eyes were so round and large that he could not manage a proper scowl. He swam closer and allowed them to pet his head, letting out a series of quiet yips and whimpers.

“Seems you’re not all bad sorts,” said Delphine, “Though your policies are some of the most brutal I’ve ever heard of.”

“Resistance propaganda,” said Kylo flippantly. That was what Hux usually said. When he could actually talk.

Hux barked more insistently and nipped at Kylo’s fingers. If he had not had his gloves on Hux definitely would have broken his skin. Kylo concentrated, _‘What?’_

 _‘Are we done here? I have other people to tail you know,’_ Hux thought, much quieter than his thoughts usually came.

 _‘Go ahead,’_ Kylo replied. He gave Hux a final pat on the head and the Selkie dived down. The Vathek Matriarch seemed a lot friendlier towards him than she had been when they first started talking. Hux had mentioned once that interpersonal networking was often just as useful as and less costly than taking over a system. Kylo had thought at first that Hux was just trying to get away from the Finalizer, which he might have been, but he was starting to see the importance of having a representative.

Kylo kept an eye out for Hux, but never quite caught sight of him again. Under normal circumstances he could not see the General being the best representative or figurehead. He was so cold and unapproachable. If he stuck with his other form though, he could probably conquer the galaxy with his cuteness. Logistics of a baby seal running a military operation aside, if Hux became the First Order’s adorable mascot they might have an easier time winning people over.

When night fell Kylo waited where Hux had first entered the water. He had managed to sneak a set of clothes out with him. Though Hux did not seem to care if he was naked or not, Kylo did, and would rather have the General clothed at all times. It did not take so much effort to call to Hux. With less people around Kylo found it easier to concentrate and focus his thoughts. Normally calling to someone was easy, almost second nature, but now it was excruciating, like he was trying to call to Hux across multiple systems.

The General surfaced and lazily made his way to shore. Kylo overheard him chattering, _‘All of the Yavins are out. Very Pro-Resistance. We should not bother wasting any time trying to sway them and do what we can to intimidate them. We might be able to sway Ferrox to our side, and Cho’sin is practically ours already.’_

“Seems like you overheard a lot,” noted Kylo.

 _‘I feel like using my human form would have been just as efficient,’_ replied Hux, _‘Though I doubt would have heard such frankness. I don’t think I’ve heard quite that many slurs for a red-haired person before in my life.’_

“Right, well, come on out and we’ll figure out our plan for tomorrow,” said Kylo.

Hux did as he was bid. He leapt from the water, drew his head back and bit down on the front of his chest. Usually the skin would come right off, Hux would peel it away and ritualistically start drying himself off with it. Then he would get dressed and be on his way with nobody the wiser as to what his other form was.

This time Hux let out a yelp of pain and shrank back.

Kylo stared down at him, stunned, “What was that?”

 _‘I…I don’t know. Hold on,’_ Hux thought. He drew his head back and bit down again. This time he held on, shaking his head and tugging at his own flesh until little droplets of blood stained his muzzle. Hux let out a high pitched bark of alarm and his thought came loud and clear, even with the inhibitor, _‘I…I’m stuck!’_

Kylo could only stare as Hux tried again, biting at his flesh, “What do you mean you’re stuck!?”

 _‘It won’t come off!’_ came Hux’s panicking thoughts, _‘It’s not coming off!’_

“M-maybe you’re too close to the water?” suggested Kylo.

 _‘N-no, I just have to be on land…this is all wrong…I can’t be stuck like this forever…Ren, try pulling it off! Just take hold where I opened the skin and pull!’_ commanded Hux.

“I don’t think that will work, you’re bleeding,” said Kylo, trying to recover his bearings. Hux was stuck in his seal form. Normally he would not have complained but this was a very inopportune time. How was he supposed to explain Hux suddenly disappearing in a secured compound with ridiculous amounts of security? How long would it take for Hux to change back? This did not seem normal, but surely it could not be a permanent thing. Hux had to change back. He just, had to.

 _‘I…I don’t know what’s happening…It’s always just comes off,’_ came Hux’s shaky, frightened thoughts.

“Did you do anything different?” asked Kylo.

 _‘N-no but…a lot of people have handled it…’_ thought Hux, _‘It can’t have been the scanner, it’s been scanned before. You’ve touched me before and nothing happened. I don’t…someone must have tampered with it…’_

It was not his Master. Kylo could not see his Master doing something like this to Hux, at least not without a very good reason, and to his knowledge Hux had not done anything that required punishment. The security woman perhaps? Maybe there had been something on her gloves and it had rubbed off on Hux’s fur. It could also be the planet. Interference from the forcefields. One of the plants. Something Hux ate. There were too many unknown factors at this point.

Hux bit himself again and let out a sound that was somewhere between a growl and a squeak of pain. Kylo knelt down and pushed his head away, “Stop doing that, you’re making it worse.”

 _‘But it’s how I make it come off,’_ protested Hux.

“Yeah, well, it’s not working right now so stop before you hurt yourself,” said Kylo sternly, “Maybe give it a few minutes.”

 _‘Right…’_ came Hux’s thoughts. Kylo could detect that there was more under the surface, but he was not sure if he had the control or power to dig deeper as he was. He sat down beside Hux and waited, not sure of what he ought to be doing. Hux would probably take umbrage to any attempt at comfort and was probably not in any sort of mood to be touched. He would probably bite if Kylo tried.

Hux made another attempt, trying to stifle a whimper as he made a futile effort at removing his skin. He settled down on the grass by the pond, still soaked, his mind completely silent. He looked so miserable Kylo half expected to hear whimpering and crying, until he remembered who it was he was looking at. Hux was horribly out of touch with his emotions and never addressed them openly, he would never break down and start crying in front of someone.

Kylo sighed, “I can’t just leave you out here.”

 _‘You can’t take me inside either, not like this,’_ came Hux’s thoughts. He paused, _‘Crossing the threshold…’_

“What?” said Kylo, taken aback by the odd phrase.

 _‘It’s something my mother told me about our kind and those like us. I’m not sure if she meant other worlds in a literal or figurative sense, but in order to pass into the world of humans a threshold needs to be crossed. For Selkies it’s leaving the water and shedding our skin to walk on two legs,’_ explained Hux, _‘Though I’ve heard there are other ways for other creatures. Perhaps I just need a different boundary to cross.’_

“What sort of boundary?” asked Kylo.

 _‘There are quite a few. Anything to mimic human behaviour. Wearing clothes, sleeping in a bed, eating food, those are common ones. Certain sounds work too, hearing ceremonial bells during religious rituals, a particular chant or phrase. Names have quite a bit of power if I’m not mistaken,’_ Hux thought, going over ideas in his head.

“From the sounds of it I have to get you inside,” said Kylo, working his arms around Hux just under his flippers.

 _‘What are you doing!?’_ Hux thought loudly, yipping indignantly.

“Carrying you,” said Kylo, “If you flopped all the way back to our room I think I would die laughing. Besides, it would take way too long.”

 _“Ren…”_ came Hux’s thoughts, deathly quiet and slow, _“You are not to speak of this to anyone.”_

Kylo hoisted Hux up with a grunt. He was heavier than he looked. He tried to maneuver Hux into a more comfortable position, but he was not a good shape for gripping onto or carrying. He managed to work the General against his shoulder with an arm hooked underneath him, carrying him like he was a baby. Hux’s whiskers tickled against his cheek and his soft, plush body was warm against him…

Dilemma aside, Kylo was really enjoying himself. He fought the grin that spread across his face and soft cooing bubbling up in his throat. He nearly lost it when Hux let out a soft noise accompanying a yawn. It was too cute…

“Sounds like somebody needs a nap,” muttered Kylo.

 _‘I’ve been swimming all day, of course I’m exhausted,’_ Hux’s thoughts protested as he rested against Kylo’s shoulder and licked blood from his muzzle.

It suddenly occurred to Kylo just who it was he was cradling. If it were human Hux, he would probably drop him, make him walk, tease him, but like this he seemed so cute and helpless. He wanted to stroke Hux’s fur and scratch his chin and kiss him on the nose and it was getting really hard to control himself. He tried reminding himself of human Hux. His scowl, his glare, his arrogance, his bossiness. Kylo sighed. It seemed to be working.

For now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kylo's adventures in cleaning up after a Selkie.

“Well, coming inside didn’t work. Clothes don’t seem to be working either,” said Kylo. He looked over Hux, who was wearing his General’s cap and burst out laughing. It looked just as precious as Kylo had imagined it would.

Hux shook his head and the cap was flung away, _‘Good to see you’re enjoying this…’_

“I’m not, promise,” lied Kyl. He was glad there seemed to be nobody else nearby. He was slowly getting used to straining to hear Hux’s thoughts, “Let’s try something else. Maybe I could call your name?” Kylo paused, “What _is_ your name?”

Hux paused before sinking down onto the bed, _‘It’s Ronan. Ronan Hux.’_

“Ronan,” said Kylo experimentally. He waited. Nothing happened. He sat down on the bed next to Hux, “Is it a Selkie name? I’ve never heard it before.”

 _‘I think so,’_ replied Hux. His thoughts became slightly jumbled as he thought, only becoming clearer when he suggested, _‘Human food, perhaps? I hear that usually works.’_

“I’ll call room service,” said Kylo. He looked over a menu by the control panel, “Anything in particular?”

 _‘Anything, provided it isn’t raw,’_ came Hux’s thoughts.

“You know, it reminds me a bit of old children’s stories,” Kylo mumbled, mostly to himself as he punched in his order, “Where something is transformed and they need to break the spell to become human again.”

 _‘This isn’t a magic spell,’_ Hux’s thoughts spat, _‘It’s very real and very distressing. I’m no good to the First Order if I’m stuck like this.’_

Kylo looked at Hux with furrowed brows, “No good to the Order? You aren’t the least bit concerned with your own plans or life goals?”

 _‘The First Order is my life’s goal,’_ replied Hux simply, _‘If I can’t contribute to the good of the Order then it’s the same as being exiled or captured. I won’t rest until I’ve found a way to change back.’_

“Well, you said sleeping in a bed might transform you, so you might want to try that,” said Kylo. He thought a little before adding, “How about a kiss?”

 _‘I beg your pardon!?’_ Hux’s thoughts thundered as he let out an indignant bark.

Kylo rolled his eyes, “Like in the stories. Have you ever heard of creatures transforming because of true love’s kiss?”

 _‘Ren, if you are my true love, I am going to wrap myself in the refresher curtain and drown myself in the bath tub,’_ came Hux’s irate reply.

“It’s not like I want to kiss you either. But there has to be someone here who would want to give you a kiss on the nose, at least when you look like that,” said Kylo with a shrug. He sighed, “Unless it really does have to be true love’s kiss, in which case you’re screwed.”

 _‘Thank you Ren…’_ Hux’s thoughts muttered.

“I mean, you act close to unlovable,” said Kylo, sitting beside Hux and thinking out loud, “If you showed a bit more humanity people might like you more.”

 _‘I don’t need nor do I want to be liked. So long as I am respected, that is adequate,_ ’ came Hux’s staunch reply.

The food arrived a short time later. Despite The Compound’s security being legendary, Hux insisted on sniffing everything first, inspecting it for poisons. Kylo had ordered some kind of fish for Hux and some sort of game fowl for himself. Probably something local that he had never heard of. Hux sniffed at the meal hesitantly before nipping it gingerly, then taking large, snapping bites out of it.

Kylo recalled Hux in his human form, ripping his tunic off before driving his sharp teeth into a still living fish, blood and guts spewing everywhere as he mercilessly continued to feed. It had been mildly horrifying, but Hux was, despite being adorable, a predatory animal. Having food that was already dead in front of him did not seem to please him as much, judging from the disinterested way he paused between bites.

Hux finished and looked over at Kylo, _‘It didn’t work…’_

“Well, there’s other things you can try, right?” said Kylo, “I’m sure you’ll get back to normal eventually.”

 _‘I don’t want to change back eventually, I need to change back now! I have work, I have duties to attend to! I can’t even use a datapad like this…’_ Hux’s thoughts snapped miserably. He sank forward on his front again, _‘What if…what if I’m stuck like this forever…’_

Kylo had no idea what to say to that. He had wished for this, sort of, but Hux looked like a wreck. It might have been his large eyes or the dead, lifeless way he lay on the bed, but it was enough to let Kylo know that this was not…right. This did not suit Hux.

 _‘I…I can’t live alone for the next three-hundred years without intelligent conversation. I don’t want to live like an animal,’_ Hux’s thoughts continued. Kylo recognized that he was spiraling and moved closer.

“When this blows over, maybe we can look for other Selkies. One of them should know how to change you back. You know where they live, don’t you?” asked Kylo.

 _‘No…my father never told me where he found my mother, and she never spoke of her home often. I think it pained her,’_ explained Hux, his thoughts shifting, having something new to focus on.

“And I mean, at least you’re still alive, right? Things could be worse,” offered Kylo.

Suddenly something in Hux’s brain shifted. Kylo barely noticed it, but it was definitely there. He also caught the faintest whiff of distress coming from Hux. Suddenly his brain was not forming coherent thoughts, just registering discomfort and pain. Hux let out a strangled noise and tumbled off the bed. Kylo got down on the floor with him, “Hux!? What’s going on!? What’s wrong!?”

Then suddenly, Hux coughed. His whole body heaved as he hacked and coughed, other noises gurgling up in his throat. Suddenly Kylo understood, “Hux, no! Not on the carpet!”

Hux heaved and his dinner came up all over the once pristine carpet. Kylo let out a cry of disgust as Hux caught his breath and let out tiny distressed noises, coughing occasionally until his fit subsided. Kylo glared down at the mess.

He was not picking up Hux’s emotions anymore, but there was no mistaking his smug tone when his thoughts came through _, ‘…pick up my vomit, Ren.’_

“Ugh, no!” cried Kylo.

 _‘I have no opposable thumbs. I can’t do it. Pick up my vomit, Ren,’_ ordered Hux, looking up at Kylo through slightly narrowed eyes.

“I’m calling the cleaners,” grumbled Kylo.

 _‘Oh, so you want to stroke my fur and take me swimming, but the second you have to clean up after me, you don’t want me anymore,’_ chided Hux, _‘Typical spoiled child.’_

“I’m going to get you back for this,” snapped Kylo.

 _‘As if I could have helped throwing up…’_ Hux thought before settling himself back on the bed.

* * *

 

Kylo tried sitting in on the conference by himself, he really did. He got about five minutes in before anxiety hit him again. He could not read anybody. The advice Hux had given was not helping him. He tried straining, but there were so many thoughts and emotions swirling around he could not trace them back to their sources with his limited powers. That just made things worse. Someone was hoping the Resistance took down the First Order, but he could not tell who. Someone was wondering where Hux had vanished to. Someone was thinking about the mistake they had made in skipping breakfast. Someone else felt sick. Someone else was thinking of their family. It was just a disjointed mess of thoughts floating around creating a fog.

Kylo stopped trying and slipped away. He needed Hux, though he was loathe to admit it. Hux could somehow read people without the Force and it was an ability that Kylo desperately needed. He dashed back to his rooms and opened the door.

The room was more or less destroyed. Sheets and pillows flung everywhere. There was a steady stream of water flowing out of the refresher. Kylo stared at Hux, who lay on his bed and looked up, seemingly disinterested.

 _‘You’ll be happy to hear I successfully used the toilet,’_ came Hux’s thoughts as he licked his muzzle.

“That’s probably the only thing in here you didn’t wreck…” said Kylo disbelievingly. How could such a tiny animal cause this much damage? He snapped himself out of his thoughts, “I need you to come with me.”

 _‘Can’t be time to put me outside already,’_ noted Hux.

“No, I need you to tell me what the hell is going on because I know nobody here and I can’t tell what people are thinking,” said Kylo, scooping Hux up as he yipped in protest.

 _‘I can’t be seen like this!’_ Hux’s thoughts panicked as he was carried out of the room.

“Nobody will know it’s you. They’ll just think I brought some animal with me,” countered Kylo.

_‘Ren, this is a horrible, horrible idea!’_

Kylo ignored him and slipped back into the conference room. He pretended that everyone had not suddenly gone silent and watched him as he settled into his seat with a small, fluffy animal in his lap. Hux propped himself up on the table so he could look at Kylo’s datapad, flippers placed on either side of it. Hux looked at the person talking expectantly, an Amani male who could only stare back at Hux in astonishment.

The conference directed hazarded a look in Kylo’s direction, “Lord Ren…what is that?”

Kylo looked down at Hux, “My pet.”

“Why is it in the conference room?” asked the director.

“He’s…” Kylo began, “General Hux took ill yesterday, and he can’t rest with this little guy making a racket.”

“General Hux is ill?” said the director.

“Oh, yeah, he has…” Kylo thought for a moment, “Explosive diarrhea.”

Hux yipped indignantly.

“Yeah, just, the worst. The smell in there is deadly,” continued Kylo, “So I couldn’t leave little Hux alone with him.”

“You named the animal Hux?” questioned the director.

“I did. Mostly so I could say, ‘Bad Hux! You’ve been a bad, bad Hux!’” said Kylo tapping a finger lightly on Hux’s nose. Hux bit down on his gloved hand and growled. Kylo continued, “I’ll keep him quiet. Try not to mind him.”

The director looked around the table, “If the other participants are willing to overlook Lord Ren’s pet…Hux…”

There was a murmur and a few hesitant nods before the conference continued. Hux eventually settled back against the table to listen and Kylo absentmindedly patted the top of his head. Holding onto Hux, and being familiar with the tone and tempo of his thoughts, Kylo found it easiest to concentrate on him. There was still the jarring sound of a person talking in a silent room, but it was more bearable when it mingled with Hux’s thoughts.

Kylo was still impressed with Hux’s ability to read a room. He might have just been making wild guesses but the way he used information and observation to make up for a lack of powers was impressive. Kylo also caught him occasionally trying to shield his nose from the bombardment of smells coming off of everyone. How Hux managed to work through it all and focus on the task at hand, Kylo had no idea. His senses being tweaked and tampered with was enough to make him want to call it a day and hide in his room.

Of course, if he hid in his room, he would have missed Hux smashing his precious little face into his datapad, desperately trying to scroll with his nose. Kylo bit back a giggle and scrolled for him, pausing to trail a finger over Hux’s whiskers.

 _‘Don’t…that!’_ Hux snapped disjointedly.

“Why?” Kylo whispered.

 _‘It’s…imagine…strange…’_ Kylo managed to pick up.

It felt strange? Maybe because they were sensitive and he used them to sense things. He patted Hux’s nose, and as tempting as it was, refrained from touching the whiskers again.

When the so-called debates were adjourned for the day, Kylo sighed and patted Hux’s head. He could get a much better link to Hux’s thoughts if he was making physical contact. He was rattling off a list of theories as to who they should attempt to get close to and who was not worth the time or effort. Kylo sighed, cutting Hux off mid-thought, “Alright, let’s get you outside.”

 _‘Putting…outside like…puppy…’_ Hux’s thoughts grumbled.

“Well, you are. You’re a cute little ocean puppy,” said Kylo, wrapping his arms around Hux to pick him up again. Hux nipped and tugged at Kylo’s arms, letting out the cutest growl the knight had ever heard.

Kylo stood up, cradling the General in his arms and turned, only to discover that he had an audience. Or rather, Hux had an audience. A number of delegates had stayed behind to get a better look at him, captivated by Hux’s near-terminal cuteness. Hux glanced up at Kylo, _‘Remember…Delphine…last?’_

“Yeah…” said Kylo hesitantly.

Hux’s words came clearer as he touched Kylo, nose to chin, _‘What I do now I do for the good of the First Order.’_

Hux began nuzzling Kylo, making high pitched, affectionate noises and licking his face.

“What’s gotten into you!?” whispered Kylo sharply.

 _‘I am winning them over to our side with my…charm,’_ said Hux, _‘If you’ll excuse me.’_

Hux flopped off of Kylo’s lap and across the floor, sniffing at shoes and making demanding little yips and making that high pitched sound when he received attention. Kylo stared in fascination as Hux, General-no-nonsense-or-I-will-personally-flay-you-alive-Hux, rolled over onto his back in the middle of the floor, wordlessly pleading for petting and affection. Many of the delegates were more than happy to comply, rubbing the Selkie’s soft fur and tickling under his chin.

Kylo’s expression slowly turned to horror as he picked up snippets of Hux’s thoughts, _‘Yes!...Yes!...Submit to my whims and give me skritches!...Yield to my cuteness you insipid fools!...Rub my furry belly and bow to the First Order!...Mwahahahahaha!!!’_

“So, General Hux is ill?” asked a Correllian woman.

“Uh…yeah, he’s very, very sick,” said Kylo, casting a wary glance at Hux as his maniacal laughter continued.

“A shame, I hear he’s quite the rising star in the First Order,” she added, “I much desired to speak with him.”

Kylo recalled how Hux had ordered him to pick up his vomit and a wicked grin crossed his face, “Oh, yeah, he’s an interesting character alright. Especially with his rituals.”

“Rituals?” she asked.

“Oh? You haven’t heard? Every daily cycle at exactly twelve hours, General Hux begins frothing at the mouth and attempts to climb up the nearest wall. He managed a good five feet off the ground last time,” said Kylo.

“He does?” she said incredulously.

“Oh yes, and then immediately after he has a mental breakdown and cries for his mother. Not to mention his narcolepsy. He’ll suddenly fall over dead to the world right out of nowhere,” continued Kylo, “Of course, if you want to get him to sleep in his own bed, he needs to be tucked in, sung a lullaby and read a bedtime story. Captain Phasma usually takes care of that, but Lieutenant Mitaka has been known to take over for her. He also prefers if we all address him as Frilly Jim Bob Albertus McGee the Crown Prince of Argyle Sweaters.”

“Gracious…” she gasped, “Do you think he requires reconditioning?”

“Well, it’s not exactly my place to say, but _yes_ ,” said Kylo with an emphatic nod.

She gave another incredulous gasp as Hux flopped over. He looked up at her, whining for attention and clapping his flippers together. She stooped and patted his head, muttering, “At least this Hux seems well behaved.”

Hux turned his face to Kylo and tried to glare, only succeeding in squinting, _‘What…she mean?’_

“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Kylo, crouching down to pick up the little Selkie, “Time for you to go outside.”

Hux’s thoughts groaned, _‘Well Huzzah for that…’_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things have been busy, but I'm not dead (mostly). Trying to keep up with comments, but I don't always have time to leave the well thought our replies that I want. Work, am I right?

Kylo spent the rest of the day alternately hiding and sulking. He was getting more and more used to the cuffs, but he still felt so little of the Force that it was almost unbearable. It made it difficult to be around more than one person at once, especially without Hux to help him interpret body language and tonal inflections. He could not wait for the conference to be over and the cuffs to be off.

But then, there was the very big problem of Hux being stuck in his seal-skin. Kylo would eventually have the cuffs taken off and he would return to normal, but what about Hux? They still had no idea how to turn him back into a human. They had exhausted most of Hux’s theories about crossing barriers. None of them had worked at all. On top of it all, Kylo could not tell how Hux was feeling. Was he scared? Was he sad? Kylo had no way of knowing, and he had no idea how to change the Selkie back. He wondered what there was to be done with Hux. He could not remain a General the way he was.

If it came down to it, perhaps Hux would prefer to be brought to some aquatic planet. Or his homeworld Arkanis. Somewhere with lots of water and seals where he might be able to learn to be happy the way he was. Thinking about it, Kylo felt that would be Hux’s best option, but the idea of parting, the General venturing out, watching him disappear below the waves forever was…

‘Absolutely not!’ Hux thundered at him when he suggested it. It was night time. Hux slapped the water and barked his disapproval.

“Look, you said it yourself, you can’t serve the Order like this,” Kylo pointed out heatedly.

‘I…I still have a brain!’ protested Hux, ‘If I can somehow use a computer I can plan strategies, give orders from a distance…’

“Hux…” said Kylo softly, crouching down near the water.

‘I can be used for underwater reconnaissance and recovery. I won’t be a General, but I might pass myself as a service animal,’ Hux argued.

“Hux…no, you know it won’t work…” said Kylo quietly, “I can figure out a way to get you back to Arkanis. Maybe you’ll find another Selkie who can help you, but…I think I had better report you MIA.”

‘Ren, no!’ Hux’s thoughts called out pleadingly as he let out a strangled bark, ‘This is my life! I don’t want to spend the next three-hundred-and-sixty years as some dumb animal! I don’t want to live without intelligent conversation or intellectual challenge! You can’t do this to me!’

“I don’t like it either…we might not see eye to eye but I don’t want someone else taking your place. You challenge me. You’re not afraid of me. This isn’t how I want this to end,” said Kylo, fighting back emotions of sadness he never thought he could feel for Hux, “But you have to have realized…you can’t stay in the First Order like this. I’m sorry. I really think Arkanis is your best bet, and…I think you know that too.”

‘No…’ Hux repeated quietly.

“There’s nobody here who can help you here, you know that,” said Kylo, for what may have been the first time in his life, he tried to be the voice of reason, “Maybe your father-”

Hux bared his teeth and growled.

“Come on, let’s…let’s just go inside. You can spend the night in a warm, comfy bed, have some nice, hot food and then…” Kylo trailed off.

‘Then you’ll dump me on some moistened rock on the edge of the Outer Rim and leave me to die in exile!’ snapped Hux, disappearing underwater.

“Hux, wait!” called Kylo.

Hux didn’t resurface. Minutes passed and there was no sign of him. As the minutes gathered themselves into an hour and Kylo started to worry. He couldn’t leave him here, there was nothing for him here. If Hux kept hiding he would have to get someone to catch him. He was also going to have to find a way to explain how General Hux had managed to disappear in a secured, neutral compound. He sighed and walked along the water, calling Hux’s name softly, but urgently as a chill began to settle in the night air.

“Hux! Hux you need to come back!” Kylo called out in the empty air as he walked along, slowly, keeping an eye out for ripples. As the minutes wore on he threatened, “Hux, if you don’t come out of there, I’m going to get security or whoever to drag you out. Is that what you want?”

No response.

Kylo sighed, “Hux…please come back. Let’s send a message to my Master and maybe he can help.”

Still no response.

Kylo growled, “Fine. You want to stay out here? Go ahead. I’ll get someone out here to catch you tomorrow.”

A blaster cocked.

…Wait. That wasn’t right.

Kylo turned and saw the guide who had greeted him when he and Hux first arrived at the compound. He shook, leveling a small blaster at Kylo. The Force was not needed to tell he was terrified. If this was an assassination attempt, it was obviously his first. He spoke quietly, deathly serious, “I’ve been watching. I figured you’d come out here with your pet.”

“And you were watching, because…?” asked Kylo dryly.

“Because…you need to be stopped,” said the guide.

“You’re with the Resistance, aren’t you?” concluded Kylo, narrowing his eyes behind his mask. He ought to have known.

“I’m…acting on my own,” replied the guide, “I think The First Order needs to be stopped, that’s all.”

“Then stop me,” dared Kylo, holding his arms open.

The guide gritted his teeth and his hands shook. Kylo grinned. As soon as he shot he would use the Force to catch the bolt and then…

…Oh, right.

Kylo took a slow step to the side. He would have to get in closer for this. Too fast and he was going to get himself shot point blank. He needed to move in slow. He was tall, he had decent reach, and this man was clearly untrained and undisciplined. All it would take was a few moments and Kylo was confident that he could disarm him.

As Kylo stepped to the side and away from the water, the assassin stepped to the opposite side and towards it. Kylo continued, trying to edge in closer. He was not used to having the disadvantage like this. With his powers he could have ended this a hundred different ways. So this was what it was like to fight without the Force. Kylo could not say he was enjoying the experience very much.

On the bright side, his opponent was inexperienced and clearly wavering. If he could get in close enough then he should be able to pry the blaster away from the man. Kylo was bigger, and probably stronger, the blaster was the only thing giving the would-be assassin any sort of edge. If he had the Force it would be a simple thing. He would have been able to crush the blaster with one thought and the assassin’s trachea with another. He took another step, slowly, trying to close the gap between them, if only slightly, to get at least some of the advantage he would normally have.

How would Hux have done this? Or Phasma? How did any of them even function without the Force when someone held advantage over them? Kylo was not sure about Phasma, though he was certain it would have something to do with her monstrous strength. He had a better idea of what Hux would do in this situation though.

Hux would cheat.

“Now General!” Kylo shouted.  

The assassin turned, no doubt expecting to see General Hux behind him. Kylo surged forward and tackled the man to the ground by the water’s edge. They struggled for the blaster, Kylo trying to pry it out of the man’s hand, or at least keep it away pointed away from his face. Kylo had drastically underestimated the assassin’s strength. His desperation made him stronger, almost Kylo’s equal. They grappled, then the assassin stilled.

Kylo ripped the blaster out of his hand with sudden, surprising ease. There seemed to have been a tightening in his grip, then nothing. He panted, staring at the blaster in disbelief for a moment before he looked up.

Hux, still in his Selkie form, still drenched, was licking blood off of his white muzzle. The assassin’s jugular had been jaggedly sliced by a set of teeth.

 _‘Must I do everything?’_ asked Hux.

“I had it…” panted Kylo.

 _‘Well, you didn’t stab me with rusty nails this time, so I suppose this is an improvement,’_ noted Hux, remarkably calm for someone trapped in an animal’s body and covered in blood.

Kylo lay beside the corpse and waited for his adrenaline rush to subside. Hux seemed to be having no such problems though. He moved around the corpse and nudged Kylo with his bloody nose, _‘So, what do we do with the body? This is a blind spot, so they’ll only have our words as witnesses to go on. Should we leave it here or drag it inside and make a show of it. We can pin this on the Resistance. I can tell you what to say. I’m quite good at inciting mobs.’_

“So you’ll come back inside? We’ll talk to my Master and then figure this out?” asked Kylo.

 _‘There’s…no way around it is there?’_ came Hux’s thoughts, sighing in Kylo’s mind. He moved away slightly _, ‘Just…give me a moment to collect myself, if you will. This situation is a lot to take in. I don’t want to be stuck like this…’_

“I know,” said Kylo, reaching over and patting Hux’s head.

_‘Just…one more time. I’ll try one more time and we can go inside.’_

Kylo sighed and nodded. He heard grass rustling as Hux moved about, then felt a human hand grabbing him by the shoulder. He bolted at the sensation and turned, seeing Hux, drenched, covered in blood, naked and clutching his skin. Kylo cried out in disgust and covered his eyes. Hux, for his part, laughed like a maniac and exclaimed, “Blood! Why didn’t I think of that before!? Don’t you see Ren!? I needed Human blood to change back after all!”

“Don’t touch me when you’re naked!” shouted Kylo, “How many times do I have to tell you!?”

“Gods I’m so happy I could kiss you and it wouldn’t dampen my mood in the slightest,” sighed Hux, happily sprawling on the ground. Kylo heard grass ripping as Hux giggled, a jarring, unnerving sound coming from the General, “Ren?”

“What?” groaned Kylo.

“I have opposable thumbs,” said Hux giddily.

“Good for you General.”

“Ren?”

“…yes?”

“I have legs.”

“Right, I’m very happy for you.”

“My legs have feet and toes, Ren.”

“Ugh…”

“Look at my toes Ren.”

“Yeah, they’re really something Hux.”

Kylo nearly knocked the corpse into the water as he rolled over to stand up. Keeping his back to Hux, who still seemed to have no idea that nudity was not something normal people were shameless about, and removed his cape. He tossed it backwards over where he thought the General might have been lying, judging from the sounds of grass being gripped and ripped up.

“Right, so, you’re naked and covered in blood, there’s a dead body and a blaster, how do we spin this?” asked Kylo.

Kylo heard cloth rustling and Hux getting to his feet. Hux hummed contemplatively, “Well, we’re going to say he was Resistance, no matter what, and obviously he attacked us.”

“Yes, but what possible reason could we have for you being out here with no clothes on?” sighed Kylo, kicking at the corpse, “And watch out when we get back inside. I don’t have your false teeth with me.”

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t,” said Hux, pulling Kylo towards him with a slight shrug. He took Kylo’s wrist, “Hold on though, this might pinch.”

Hux leaned down and bit into the Force suppressing cuff. Not getting the result he wanted, he bit down, again and again, pinching Kylo’s skin slightly as he searched for the angle and area he wanted to bite. Kylo, for his part, never imagined having the General’s mouth this close to him before, at least in his Human skin. He felt Hux’s lips on his wrist and ragged, hot breath as he grunted and strained to bite down on the cuff.

Kylo would never admit it out loud, but aside from the corpse, blood, Hux being naked and the part where he nearly died, Hux working at his wrist was bizarrely relaxing.

Finally he pulled back and Kylo could instantly feel his connection to the Force return. He could feel light and dark energy flowing around Hux and through the plants and along the water. He could hear distant, wispy thoughts coming from the building. It was like taking off a blindfold or pulling out earplugs after days of sensory deprivation. He sighed at the relief. He felt whole again. Hux pointed at his wrist, “That was damaged during the fight, I had nothing to do with it.”

“Of course,” said Kylo, “Now what about the big bite mark on his neck?”

Hux took the corpse’s hand and worked its fingers around the trigger and handle. He angled the arm upwards and manipulated the fingers to shoot the corpse in the neck, taking care not to get his own fingerprints on the trigger. Hux shrugged, “What bite mark?”

Kylo arched his brow, “When did you get so good at tampering with crime scenes?”

“When I was at Arkanis Academy. I was in the advanced class,” said Hux, almost proudly.

Kylo sighed and stretched out, “Of course you were. As for our cover story, I think I’ve got it figured out.”

“Do you?” asked Hux.

“Yeah, I think we’ll be fine.”

* * *

 

“So…he was undercover with the Resistance?”

“Yes.”

“And he kidnapped General Hux while he was having a sonic shower?”

“Yes.”

“And then he dragged the General outside to drown him in the pond and not the shower.”

“Yes.”

“Then you rescued the General, and the assailant shot himself in the neck during the struggle.”

“Yes.”

“…do you think we’re stupid?”

The head guard looked at Kylo quizzically. Hux stood beside him, Kylo’s cape still wrapped around him, with a hand placed over his mouth in case he started snarling and someone saw his teeth. Dragging the dead body of a would-be assassin while being followed by a half-naked General had drawn a lot of attention. In no time at all, security and a number of delegates had gathered to see just what exactly was going on. Kylo stood, masked and imposing, with Hux beside him, drenched, covered in blood, with nothing but Kylo’s cape to protect his modesty.

“General, is that what happened?” asked the head guard.

Hux gave Kylo a sideways glare as the knight replied for him, “Look at him! He’s so traumatized he can’t even speak!”

An animalistic growl escaped from behind Hux’s hand and Kylo heard his needle-sharp Selkie teeth click together.

“So what happened to the other General Hux? Your pet,” asked the head guard, barely humoring Kylo at this point.

“He’s fine, completely fine, but he’s pretty traumatized too so you won’t see him again,” explained the knight.

“I’m surprised the assailant could get General Hux outside with his multiple neurosis and…dysentery…” noted one of the delegates.

“My what?” growled Hux discreetly from behind his hand.

Kylo waved his arm and concentrated his power, “You will all accept my story. You are very tired and want to go back to bed!”

Everyone in the room, save Hux, suddenly started. They became glassy eyed and stared straight ahead at nothing and everything before them. They repeated in unison, “I accept your story. I am very tired and want to go back to bed.”

Hux rolled his eyes and palmed his forehead with a groan as everyone began filing out of the room. Kylo smiled contentedly to himself. All he needed to do was get on everyone’s nerves, get them tired, and then as soon as they had just the inkling of a desire to go back to bed and settle the disturbance, Kylo would be able to use that to manipulate them into believing his story so everyone could go to sleep. Hux hardly seemed impressed with his groaning and eye rolling. Once everyone moved he removed his hand from his mouth and glared up at Kylo, “Multiple neurosis?”

“I had to explain why you weren’t there,” protested Kylo.

“Wasn’t that why you said I had explosive dysentery in the first place?” Hux continued to growl.

“Well, yeah but…can you honestly say you wouldn’t have done the same in my place?” asked Kylo.

“Yes I could have,” said Hux bluntly, “Because unlike you, I can be professional.”

“You are half-naked, hiding a seal skin and covered in blood in the middle of a hallway,” said Kylo bluntly.

“And despite that I’m still more professional than you are!” raved Hux, who began stalking back to his room.

“You are the meanest baby seal I’ve ever met,” grumbled Kylo.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends my silly guilty-pleasure fic. Did it make much sense? Not really. It was just me having fun, so thanks for bearing with :P 
> 
> Over the next couple weeks I may not be able to post very often. The Kylux Big Bang is coming up and both me and my beta countofeight are participating! So be sure to keep an eye out for a lot of Kylux fic and art by amazing creators coming out soon! 
> 
> As to Kylo and Hux's relationship in this incarnation...mythical creature lifespans and aging always makes things a bit weird. They're a bit hard to define, but if I had to put a label on it, I would say it's somewhere between fraternal and friends-with-cuddle-benefits.

Hux still could not seem to figure out what had gone wrong with his transformation ritual, and spent all of his free time examining his skin.

Now on their way back to the Finalizer, Hux seemed to have all the time in the world and spent it combing over each hair, sniffing it intently, trying to figure out what exactly had caused it to trap him in his seal form. Kylo watched him meticulously card through every hair, looking for something that was off, sniffing noises echoing through the shuttle. He found himself needing to look away when Hux started nuzzling and licking it. He supposed it was normal Selkie behaviour and Hux was trying to clean it and get it smell right again, but Hux doing something like that was too weird.

Kylo still refused to believe his Master had anything to do with it. Something had to have happened to the skin in transit. Someone had been touching it or had handled it wrong and that was what made it go haywire and trap Hux in his other form. Or, perhaps this was just something that happened to Selkies when they got older. Kylo had noticed a few new orange spots on the skin. Maybe Hux was finally starting to show signs of aging, and that had thrown off…something. He was no expert in Selkie biology, but Hux did not seem to have any theories that were more convincing.

Either way, Hux probably would not want to transform for a very long time. Not without a blood bag nearby in case he got stuck again.

“Can you stop licking it?” asked Kylo, grimacing slightly.

“I can’t help it,” said Hux, spitting out a hair, “It _still_ doesn’t smell right…”

“Maybe you should dry-clean it,” suggested Kylo.

“Dry-clean my skin. Do you ever listen to yourself when you talk?” asked Hux, growling slightly before dragging his tongue over the seal skin again. He sighed, “It’s…I hate this. I feel like there’s this odd scent all over me and I can’t get rid of it…”

“Maybe take a long bath when you get back?” said Kylo, “Just…you licking it is kind of gross.”

Hux stuck out his tongue, and Kylo caught a glimpse of a pronounced cleft in it. He might have passed it off as the result of an accident, but Kylo understood the point he was trying to make.  The General retracted it, “See, mine’s different from yours, though I mostly use my teeth for grooming. You might not be able to groom yourself with yours, but I can lick myself any-”

Hearing that, Kylo doubled over laughing and nearly fell off of his seat. Hux snarled, “I’m talking about grooming myself! Grow up!”

“You _lick_ yourself!?” exclaimed Kylo, barely containing his laughter long enough to ask his question.

“I’ll have you know it’s perfectly normal for someone like me to occasionally clean himself with his tongue!” snapped Hux.

“Oh my god…that’s too great…” laughed Kylo, finally falling off his seat. His gut hurt from laughing so hard. He had this image in his head of General Hux, standing imposingly on the bridge, and them pausing in the middle of directing a battle to sit on the floor and start licking himself. It was amazing, and that image was not going anywhere.

Hux growled and replaced his false teeth, fitting them, then swiping his tongue over them to make sure they set properly, “Right, have your laugh then. But I hope you’ve learned your lesson about using my…shape-shifting…frivolously. The first mission it proved a necessity but this was simply gratuitous…”

“If you had been able to change back okay would you think that?” asked Kylo, recovering slightly, “Hindsight’s twenty-twenty after all.”

Hux ran a hand over his fur, “I…don’t think I want to transform again. Not for a long time. That was too close a call for my liking.”

“But we know what to do now,” said Kylo, now fully recovered and slightly concerned, “If you get stuck you just need to taste human blood.”

“Ren, this has never happened to me before. I’ve never heard of it before. Let’s just give it a while,” said Hux contemplatively.

“Yeah, I mean, this might just be Selkie puberty or something,” said Kylo with a shrug.

Hux furrowed his brow, “Puberty?”

“You said yourself that you were a pu-”

“Juvenile!”

“…juvenile. You might just be getting older and adjusting to things,” said Kylo. He furrowed his own brow, “How does that work anyways? I’ve seen you naked so I know you’re definitely a grown man in your human form, but as a seal you’re still barely a toddler, so…how does that…work?”

Hux turned his face away, “By all outward appearances I’m sexually mature. Selkies have adapted so our human forms can seem to age at the same rate as your kind, but I’m…I can’t…”

Kylo looked him over, slightly stunned, “You’re…”

“A child, technically,” admitted Hux. He looked down slightly, “My kind matures very slowly. It takes us a third of our lifetime to reach maturity. That means I’ll be considered an adult among my kind when I’m about one-hundred-and-twenty years old, or perhaps just a hundred if I’m lucky. I’m a little over a quarter of the way there. My skin should start showing more signs of aging soon. I should be an adolescent in another thirty years or so. In the meantime while I look like a human, adult male, I’m just infertile.”

“Oh…” said Kylo. He started, “But wait…how are you going to explain it when you get older and don’t age at all? Wait…how does aging even work for you?”

“My human form stopped physically aging in my late twenties. I don’t really know if or when I’ll start aging again, I don’t really have anyone I can ask about that,” said Hux quietly, “But…I’ll figure something out I suppose. I always do.”  

Kylo scratched the back of his head. He had something he had wanted to ask Hux about, but if Hux was still just a child, it was probably not something he could ask for. He tried to imagine asking a human child what he had been thinking about. It made him feel like some sort of creep. In the meantime, he tried to think about everything that Hux had done and been through. All the missions and organizing and planning and killing and the Selkie was still just a child? Kylo was starting to feel a little bad about teasing and ribbing him. If he had known Hux was just a little kid…

“You’ve got an odd look on your face. Does my age bother you?” asked Hux, folding his skin up in its paper neatly and adopting his usual stoicism.

“Well…kind of,” admitted Kylo, “It’s just…I’ve been sort of treating you like an adult and, well, you’re not.”

“I prefer it that way,” said Hux, “I can’t exactly be taken seriously if everyone treats me like a child. Selkies also don’t have the same preoccupation with childhood that Humans do. As far as we’re concerned, childhood is the time to learn how to hunt and blend with humans. It’s for the best if you just treat me as an adult.”

“No, it’s not that it’s…” Kylo began, “When I was feeling off because my powers were suppressed and you let me lie on your lap, I sort of…liked it.”

Hux’s eyes widened in horror, “You _like_ me!?”

“Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Kylo, “I mean, I don’t want us to change. I think we should act the same way we always do, just with more of…that… But you’re just a kid, so, I can’t…I shouldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Ren, you realize that my kind reaches maturity well after turning a hundred years old and then mate with humans in their twenties and thirties. Age difference isn’t exactly a concern for most Selkies. I would have thought my almost being an animal would be more of a deterrent from physical contact,” said Hux. He gave a light, carless shrug, “I’m hardly tame, and I bite.”     

“I like animals. A lot more than I like people,” Kylo confessed, looking Hux over, “It’s just…when you’re a seal it’s different, I can pet you and it’s not weird. But when you’re like this and knowing you’re a kid, it’s like petting a little kid and I am not okay with that.”

“Then don’t pet me,” said Hux disdainfully.

“But…” Kylo trailed off, “You’re so fluffy and cute…”

Hux groaned and hugged his fur to his chest, “I can’t wait until I’m fully mature and big enough to crush you…”

“If I’d known you were just a kid I never would have been so…” Kylo began to explain but found he could not finish. All this time he had been picking on a little kid. A little kid had been in charge of the First Order. A little kid had saved his skin twice. A little kid was his co-commander. This little kid was determined to act more mature than him and act like a grown-up. It was…Kylo felt like a…

He felt like a bit of an ass, admittedly.  

Hux sighed, “Grooming…”

Kylo looked up.

Hux settled into his seat against the wall of the shuttle, “I…miss grooming…I haven’t since that time on Neru, and before that I hadn’t since I was a child. Or, at least since I looked like one. Humans do it with their own children, so it should not be too bothersome for you. If you wanted physical contact, I’d let you groom me.”

Kylo grimaced, “I’m not going to lick you…”

“With your hands, or brushes or whatever you like!” said Hux exasperatedly. He muttered to himself, “I’ve been going without it for a very long time. So if you want to continue things the way we’ve always been with a few extra grooming sessions thrown in…it’s fine.”

“…can I rub your fuzzy belly?” asked Kylo hopefully.

“My stomach is off limits!” snapped Hux.

Kylo hummed his disappointment and watched Hux cross the shuttle to settle beside him. He kept his back to the knight, still holding his fur tightly and asked, “Your species has communal grooming as well, doesn’t it? It doesn’t seem to be restricted by age, so you shouldn’t feel awkward about it.”

That was true, and it was not as if Kylo was in love with the General. Hux was…definitely more than an enemy at this point, and there was certainly something more than rivalry going on between them, whether they chose to acknowledge it or not. Besides, knowing Hux was pretty much the Selkie equivalent of a kid, maybe an adolescent, added a new level of strangeness to the mix. It was not quite as strange as discovering Hux was not completely human, but it was certainly jarring. Still, they had been through some pretty strange things together over the last few days and Kylo could feel Hux’s frustration and discomfort.

Kylo was slowly discovering, aside from his own pranks and teasing, that he did not really like seeing Hux in pain, and definitely wanted to continue being around him.

Hux leaned back and rubbed his face against Kylo’s nose, as if trying to encourage him, “Is that a yes or no?”

Kylo jolted back, “What are you doing!?”

Hux just rubbed his face against Kylo again, undeterred by the outburst, touching their noses together and trying to rub his neck against Kylo’s mouth, “I’m fully clothed so this shouldn’t bother you.”

Kylo shoved Hux’s face back. It seemed the General was comfortable enough around him to give in to his instincts. Kylo was sort of happy about that but General Hux rubbing his face all over him was just…wrong.

“Okay, well, that’s a bit much for me. How do Selkies usually do this?” asked Kylo.

“With our teeth and the claws in our flippers. We can use our tongues as well, but not usually. One of us approaches another, signals that they want to be groomed, and that’s it, really,” explained Hux.

“I’m not going to lick or bite you and I don’t have claws,” mused Kylo. He brought a hand up and scratched Hux firmly behind one of his ears, “I have nails though. Is this-?”

Hux fell almost instantly into Kylo’s lap, giving his ear and neck as much exposure as he could and rubbing his face on Kylo’s knee. It was weird, but Hux was sort of a kid, and an animal, so Kylo supposed he could be alright with his. Seeing a grown man acting like a puppy was still sort of weird though. He sighed and scratched around Hux’s ears and neck, “I am going to remember this the next time you chew me out over doing whatever I want like some animal.”

“Whatever, just don’t stop,” pleaded Hux with a hum of pleasure.

“How’s this, is this good?” asked Kylo, scratching Hux’s neck firmly at a steady pace.

Hux’s arm started wriggling at the same pace at the elbow, “God, yes…”

Kylo looked down at Hux, coming almost completely undone by someone scratching his neck. He arched his brow as Hux started losing all decorum and control and began making whiny noises and rubbing his face insistently against Kylo’s leg. Kylo recalled seeing dogs do the same sort of thing when they were scratched. It was a good thing nobody had ever tried scratching the General’s neck in public. Kylo was sort of unnerved by the whole experience. In any case, Hux seemed to have completely lost his mind.

“Has it been a while since someone did this for you?” asked Kylo.

“Mhmm…” Hux half purred and half whimpered.

“You’ve had it…kind of rough haven’t you?” asked Kylo.

Hux stilled slightly at that.

“It’s okay, nobody gets to make you miserable except me, remember?” said the knight, “And I don’t feel like that right now, so just relax.”

The General, despite his arm wiggling and slight panting looked up at him and added, “And you can’t make a holovideo to blackmail me.”

“And I can’t blackmail you,” sighed Kylo, scratching at Hux’s neck.

 

* * *

 

“I what!?”

General Hux looked at Phasma from across the conference table. In her hand was a report from the counsel on Corruscant recommending his being sent for extensive reconditioning. Apparently someone had been circulating rumours that he was narcoleptic, obsessive-compulsive, and unfit for active duty. Phasma rattled off a list of supposed symptoms and conditions and looked him over from behind her helmet. Irately she added, “I’m as surprised as you are, sir. And I most certainly don’t read you bedtime stories.”

“No, no you don’t,” growled Hux.

“Shall I begin an investigation to uncover the source of the rumours, sir?” asked Phasma.

“No…I have a fairly good idea as to who started them…” grumbled Hux, “You may submit a reply stating that I don’t do any of…that, and throw in a list of our recent successes for good measure.”

Phasma sighed, “It was Lord Ren, wasn’t it?”

“It was Kylo fucking Ren.”

* * *

 

Hux had delivered the report, careful to leave out the part where he had been trapped in his other skin, but did not skimp on the details when it came to Kylo spreading rumours that could be a detriment to the First Order’s progress. That was typical of Hux, unable to take a joke. As if his Master would have demoted him over a rumour that could be so easily disproven. Still, he made a note to get Hux back for his slight later. Maybe he would sneak up behind him while he was on the bridge and start massaging his neck. He could already imagine Hux’s angry glare as he bit back whimpers and tried to control his compulsive arm wiggling.

Hux left when he was finished, as usual, leaving Kylo alone with his Master. He looked up at the monstrously large hologram and asked, “Master, were you aware that General Hux was a…child?”

“His mental capacities are adequate for his position, and his instincts make him less inclined to sentimentality,” explained his Master, “It is best that you treat with him in accordance with his apparent age.”

“Something happened to him Master, he transformed, but was temporarily trapped in his animal form. We discovered human blood can reverse this, but will this be something permanent for him?” asked Kylo, wondering if he would have to start carrying blood bags if he ever went on a mission with Hux again. He might not hate the General, but he was not about to let Hux regularly drink his blood.

“I am aware,” said his Master. His Master was always aware of everything. He had probably read Hux’s thoughts, or possibly Kylo’s own. Kylo did not mind. He hid nothing from his Master. His Master continued, “It should not occur again, provided the General does not have dissenting thoughts in the future.”

Kylo paused at that.

His Master, sensing his confusion, explained, “After your mission on Neru, General Hux felt pulled towards his more bestial urges. It was imperative to assess whether, if given the opportunity to dessert, he would do so. However, his loyalty made itself apparent. There should be no need for further trial.”

Kylo tried to make sense of it. When his Master presented him with challenges or tests, he did not always have warning and were often painful. His Master was well within his rights to test or question his General if he had just cause for suspicion. Kylo had felt Hux’s longing to return to the water for himself, and the urge had certainly been a strong one. Kylo also understood with his own dual nature that constant tests and trials were a necessity to make sure he stayed on his path towards power. His Master had made that much clear during his training.

But Hux was not an apprentice. Hux was just a…

“Children require more tutelage than those who are grown,” said his Master smoothly, “I can sense you saw the necessity of a test of loyalty, and yet I also sense shock within you.”

“I…did not expect you would test him,” admitted Kylo.

“And you find yourself attached to him,” added Snoke.

“As…perhaps as more than a rival…” Kylo confessed.

“You will do well to keep in mind that his lifespan outstrips your own. You would only bring him pain,” his Master chided gently, “You may not live long enough to see him fully grown. And if you should accomplish this, you will be an old man. You would have him attach himself to you only to leave him friendless?”

Kylo paused before speaking, “I have heard there are…techniques belonging to the dark side. That mastery of the Force can grant longer life.”

“It can,” said Snoke.

Kylo screwed his courage before asking, “Would you teach them to me?”

His master grinned, “If you believe it would be of value. But it would require stronger resistance against the call to the light.”

* * *

 

“You waited for me?”

Kylo was greeted by the unusual sight of Hux standing just outside the blast doors. Normally the General disappeared to…Kylo did not exactly know where. In all likelihood it was a different place every time, depending on where Hux happened to be needed most. The General looked him over and shrugged, “I felt like it. It’s none of your concern.”

“Did you want something?” asked Kylo.

Hux looked away slightly before looking at Kylo and asking, “I know you told him I got trapped in my Selkie form. In your position I would have done the same. Should I be worried losing my commission?”

Kylo sighed, “No, I’m still stuck with you.”

Hux gave as much of a sigh of relief as he seemed capable of doing. Kylo grinned slightly, “And it seems like you’re stuck with me too.”

“Come again?” asked Hux.

“There are techniques I can use to extend my lifespan. Apparently I can even match your lifespan if I get good enough,” said Kylo, grinning behind his mask. He reached out a hand to ruffle Hux’s hair, “So, you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life, not just another sixty or so years.”

“Oh goodie,” groaned Hux, swatting Kylo’s hand away.

Kylo sniggered and scratched Hux’s neck, “You love it.”

Hux shuddered before drawing back and snapping, “That’s beside the point! Don’t you dare ever try to groom me while I’m on duty!”

“But when you’re free, it’s okay?” asked Kylo.

Hux sighed slightly, “Yes, I suppose that’s fine…”

“That’s good, because I’m sort of…I like the idea of us running around the Galaxy causing trouble for the next three centuries,” admitted Kylo. He grinned at Hux through his mask, “I’ll help you figure out how to hide the fact that you don’t age. I can be pretty persuasive.”

“Change ‘causing trouble’ to ‘creating order’ and perhaps I’ll find the idea of your companionship for life…tolerable,” replied Hux.

“But you love when I give you skritches.”

“If you say that around anybody else, I will end you.”


End file.
